Swinging arm bearings/pivot advice, please?

[Martin C]

My 1995 M900 has just scraped though its MOT at 43,000 miles, with an advisory for play 'between the swingarm and frame' (standard MOT failure wording, of course). I'm going to sort it out without delay, but it's not a job I've ever done before (not on any bike).

My trusty Haynes manual doesn't make it seem like too tricky a job, but I thought it best to ask on here for any specific advice, please? Is it usually necessary to replace just the bearings? or the pivot pin? or both?

Also, the manual says an early pivot pin without a circlip should be replaced by the later circlip type: why is this? I don't know if mine will be the earlier type, but a new pivot pin is £108!

I anticipate that the existing shims can probably be re-used, as their necessary thickness is presumably more likely to derive from manufacturing variations in the crankcase holes and swinging arm than the bearings themselves.

Any advice will be much appreciated, thanks. Martin